Gareth Gates Takes Stamford by Storm

Last Thursday we travelled to Stamford, in the Midlands , then stayed overnight to attend a Gareth Gates Gig on Friday. It ended up being a very wise decision, as some of his fans found themselves caught up in very heavy traffic on the way, and there is nothing more stressful than worrying that you might be late for an event that you are so looking forward to.

On Friday we explored Stamford, its buildings are made from Cotswold stone, which gives it a great look, it has a river , and a bridge, which overlooks a grassy area where you can take a walk, or relax on a seat, whichever takes your fancy. On Friday it is market day, so it becomes a bustling and busy little town with many colourful displays to tempt the eye. One lady was selling knitted cuddly toys in all colours, and another had jewellery, which was sparkling in the sun. This was just in one area, as apparently food and home made produce was on offer elsewhere.

Stamford Corn Exchange where the gig was to take place was a small theatre, but full of history and character. It was years ago a place where farmers traded their crops, hence the name, and the new building has been erected inside the old one You had to go upstairs to the seating area and bar, and there was a red carpet stretching all the way down to the front, which gave it a rich warm atmosphere, and I knew as soon as I entered, that we were in for a great evening.

The Gig

Most of the Gareth Gigs I have attended before have started off with a support act, and sometimes he does not come on until about ten o'clock. As we had to travel home the same night due to a book signing I had the next day, I was hoping it would not end too late.

We were in luck, as at eight o'clock, Gareth and his guitarist came on stage, There was no big buildup, or even a mention from the theatre, that he was about to come on, which I think was wrong, there should have been, only an announcement that we were not allowed to video or use mobile phones.

But this made no difference to the fans, Gareth has a lot of very loyal fans, and the theatre positively rang with cheers and whistles once they realised that their hero was on stage. He introduced us to his new guitarist, and then launched into his own version of HEAVEN, his voice was rich and sounded like pure honey. I am mentioning this because it is well documented that Gareth had to have an operation on his vocal chords within the last two years. Whilst he has been appearing in the musical FOOTLOOSE, his role was a comedic one, with only one song to sing, which has given his voice much needed rest for his vocal chords to heal.

he launched into an enthusiastic medley of his previous hits, which will always go down well with his fans, including, his version of UNCHAINED MELODY, and SUSPICIOUS MINDS, and ANYONE OF US, I CAN'T BELIEVE IT'S OVER, WHAT MY HEART WANTS TO SAY, AND SAY IT ISN'T SO. Then a song he has penned himself, HOLD ON TIGHT. As always he sang with great feeling, and the audience supported him all the way. Another of his hits SUNSHINE, which is a great song

As the tempo of the music built up until he was singing classic rock songs, he invited the fans to come up to the stage and party, and we did just that! Songs like SUMMER OF SIXTY NINE, and VALERIE, just to name a few kept everyone rocking at the front, and then out came all the phones, and fans were taking selfies, with Gareth performing in the background, and he helped those who were having trouble, and yet remained singing and entertaining at the same time. I have never seen the like of it before, such audience participation, what an amazing time was had by all.

But nothing can last forever

We were all having a good time, but then the end was in sight. Gareth sang his version of SPIRIT IN THE SKY, and invited people to come up and sing a verse with him, and of course there was a mad scramble. He then took his bows with his guitarist, and everyone was screaming MORE, so he came back again.

This time he sang DON'T STOP ME NOW. There was a young girl who wanted so much to sing with him, so she came up, and sang a couple of verses. She had a nice voice, and was clearly overcome with emotion after that she had been able to realise her dream. Gareth is always very supportive of other people's talents, and gave her recognition, which wa quickly picked up by the audience, and she left the stage amidst very loud applause.

On my way out I heard people saying what amazing charisma and stage presence he has, he does not need a large crowd to turn his gig into an evening of fun, he just captures the audience from the moment he walks on stage.

As we all proceeded outside, there parked very near was his car, so we waited patiently to see him. I wanted to tell him how great he sounded, as he has had a stressful time with his voice. He came out and delighted everyone by signing autographs and posing for pictures. Nothing is ever too much trouble for him, and he has always said he is happy to meet and interact with the people he believes have put him where he is today.

We all left to go our separate ways to go home, he had made so many people so happy that evening, and all I heard around me was laughter and excited voices. Our journey was without incident, and we arrived home at midnight, that is because the gig finished before ten, and on this occasion, due to the distance we had to travel, I was very grateful. I am looking forward to doing it all again at a future date.The images are my own, thanks to Youtube for the video